Why I feel the UK education system needs an overhaul

 I was asked today by a friend why I think the UK education system is failing. 

This got me thinking, I am passionate about the rights of children to an education but also about children flourishing and having their needs met. All children are different, learn in different ways so this needs to be catered for.

What needs to be asked is:

'What is the purpose of education?'. 

This answer will be different depending on who you ask.

There are three conceptual models for education:

Human Capital -This theory considers that education is relevant for creating skills and knowledge that serves as an investment as people being productive workers and helping the economy.

The rights based Model - Education is a basic human right.

 Article 26 UN Human rights 1945 – Everyone has right to an education and should be free at elementary level.

 Education is everyone’s right. There is value in education itself rather than what is achieved from it

 (Things that limit this idea could be things such as poverty, war, violence towards girls. 

Capabilities Model:

The capabilities model highlights social justice and quality of life – aim is to remove inequality.

Widening actual opportunities a person has to develop capabilities which will expand their choice of functioning.

 

I believe the UK system is based upon the Rights based model and human capital. While there is value in both of these, I personally prefer to focus on a capabilities model. Where children are encourage to flourish. Teachers are some of the most passionate people I know who want the best for children but are very constricted by the system, paperwork, assessments and curriculum. They do not much have agency in the classroom.

Here are some of the reasons that I think the UK education systems needs an overhaul:

1. The 5 day a week, 6 hours a day school with large classes still hints largely at the the education system introduced in the industrial revolution that aimed to prepare students for factory life. Society has changed dramatically and we are no longer trying to produce complaint factory workers that essentially just turn up and conform. We are  in a time where we need thinkers, those who will create and be innovative. 
2. The curriculum is decided on by governments. They are deciding what is important for the children to learn. Is what they deem relevant to be included really what children need to be learning? Does the history curriculum reflect the multicultural society we live in?                   Many teachers I interviewed deem what they are teaching a waste of time considering the technological world we are living in. A high school science teacher from Wales said to me:    'Why am I insisting my students memorize formulae when we are in a time when everything is at the click of a finger - especially for children who do not want to pursue science at the next level'.  Something to ponder over. When thinking like this, even the exams are out of date.
3. People learn best in different ways and children are no different. Where one child may be a auditory learning and listening to the teacher works for them in terms of retaining information, another child in the class may need to be hands on and use materials to help them understand something. Where schools do try to incorporate different activities, large classes and lack of staff often lead to the same style of learning; teacher at the front of the class speaking to a class about a subject and then they complete worksheets or work in books. 
4. Children are starting academic formal work at 4 years old. I feel this is too early for formal work. In many of the top performing countries, children do not start formal education until they are 7 years old. Before that they learn life and social skills through play. When children are slightly older, they will be more emotional and intellectually ready to learn and progress much quicker and easily. 
5. There are too many tests and exams from a young age that is putting unnecessary pressure and stress on children. Schools have become too focused on statistics and results. Teachers are teaching to the test a lot of the time. What is wrong with teacher observation and class work to monitor progression?? Not all children perform well in exam conditions and find it easy to memorize information.
6. Teachers are the ones that are spending everyday with the children yet they have little agency over what and how they can teach. With prescribed curricula and tests it leaves little time for teachers to use their skills and make learning accessible for everyone in a fun way.

I am aware that different curricula are used throughout the UK. England, Scotland and Wales and using different curricula. All of the points I made i believed are aimed at all of them however Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence and Wales's new Curriculum 2022 are improved and aim to put the child at the centre of their learning with capacities. I think the implementation has been problematic so the above issues still are arising.  

I would love to see a education system that starts formal education at 7 years old and embraces every child as an individual. Different learning styles and choices of what and how to learn for the children. I think a big focus should be on the global drivers (technology, demographic change and sustainability) as they are relevant for the next generation we are educating. 

Education systems around the world each have positive and negative points but definitely can be learnt from and embraced.